Shadwan
Encyclopedia
Shadwan is a barren rocky island in the mouth of the Gulf of Suez
in the northern Red Sea
. Situated some 20 miles from Sharm el-Sheikh
, the island is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) in length, and between 3 and 5 km wide. It was formerly also called Shaker Island. The island features a lighthouse
and is familiar to anyone who has been to the northern Red Sea for scuba diving
.
On 31 March 1969 the Island was the site of an earthquake
measuring
6.6 on the Richter scale. The earthquake caused some damage including numerous rock falls. On 9 April 1996 a station of the Hurghada Seismological Network began operating on the island with the aim of gaining information on the seismotectonics
of the southern Gulf of Suez region. The station is operated by solar batteries and the seisminc data is transmitted by telemetry to the Hurghada Seismological Center in Hurghada
.
During the War of Attrition
between Israel
and Egypt
, the island was fortified and held by Egyptian troops. On 22 January 1970, it was the site of Operation Rhodes
, a heliborne assault by Israeli troops which occupied the island for 36 hours.
Gulf of Suez
The northern end of the Red Sea is bifurcated by the Sinai Peninsula, creating the Gulf of Suez in the west and the Gulf of Aqaba to the east. The Gulf of Suez is formed within a relatively young, but now inactive rift basin, the Gulf of Suez Rift, dating back about 28 million years...
in the northern Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
. Situated some 20 miles from Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 35,000...
, the island is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) in length, and between 3 and 5 km wide. It was formerly also called Shaker Island. The island features a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
and is familiar to anyone who has been to the northern Red Sea for scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
.
On 31 March 1969 the Island was the site of an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
measuring
6.6 on the Richter scale. The earthquake caused some damage including numerous rock falls. On 9 April 1996 a station of the Hurghada Seismological Network began operating on the island with the aim of gaining information on the seismotectonicsSeismotectonics
Seismotectonics is the study of the relationship between the earthquakes, active tectonics and individual faults of a region. It seeks to understand which faults are responsible for seismic activity in an area by analysing a combination of regional tectonics, recent instrumentally recorded events,...
of the southern Gulf of Suez region. The station is operated by solar batteries and the seisminc data is transmitted by telemetry to the Hurghada Seismological Center in Hurghada
Hurghada
Hurghada is a city in the Red Sea Governorate of Egypt. It is a main tourist center and second largest city in Egypt located on the Red Sea coast.- Overview :...
.
During the War of Attrition
War of Attrition
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission of the United Nations was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been...
between Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, the island was fortified and held by Egyptian troops. On 22 January 1970, it was the site of Operation Rhodes
Operation Rhodes
Operation Rhodes was an Israeli heliborne raid against the Egyptian island of Shadwan on 22 January 1970, during the War of Attrition. It was carried out by Israeli paratroopers and Shayetet 13 naval commandos, who took control of the island for over a day before leaving with 62 captured Egyptian...
, a heliborne assault by Israeli troops which occupied the island for 36 hours.